BJP alleges 'Love Jihad' as motive behind Neha Hiremath's murder in Hubballi
PTC News Desk: The tragic murder of Neha Hiremath, a first-year MCA student at BVB College in Hubballi, has ignited a political firestorm in Karnataka, just as the state gears up for elections. Neha, the daughter of a Congress councillor, was brutally stabbed to death on her college campus, allegedly by Fayaz Khondunaik, a man she reportedly rejected for marriage. While the Congress attributed the crime to personal reasons, the BJP has raised suspicions of "love jihad."
Fayaz Khondunaik, the accused, confessed to the police that he fatally stabbed Neha because she had been avoiding him lately, suggesting a past romantic involvement between the two. However, Neha's family contended that the motive behind the murder was her refusal of Fayaz's marriage proposal.
Karnataka BJP president BY Vijayendra wasted no time in labeling the incident as a potential case of love jihad, accusing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's government of neglecting to investigate the true motives behind the crime.
"The current Congress administration is turning a blind eye to everything. Instead of conducting a thorough investigation, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is shielding the culprit," Vijayendra stated.
Siddaramaiah, on the other hand, maintained that the law and order situation in Karnataka remained stable and that Neha's murder stemmed from personal disputes. Niranjan Hiremath, Neha's father, recounted the events leading up to his daughter's tragic demise, asserting that she had rejected Fayaz's advances.
"After my daughter was returning from college, an unknown person came and stabbed her seven times, resulting in her immediate death. The accused has been apprehended. The motive behind the murder is the victim's rejection of the accused's marriage proposal," Niranjan Hiremath revealed. In a surprising turn of events, Fayaz's father, Baba Saheb Subani, expressed remorse and extended apologies to Neha's grieving family.
"I am deeply shocked and shattered by my son's actions. He should face severe punishment to deter others from committing such heinous acts. I apologise to Neha's family from the bottom of my heart. She was like a daughter to me," Baba Saheb Subani tearfully stated.
He further disclosed that Neha's family had notified him about Fayaz's troubling behaviour, indicating a previous relationship between the accused and the victim, though he adamantly denied his son's involvement in any romantic association with Neha. "Fayaz informed me of his desire to marry her, but I respectfully declined the proposal," he added.
- With inputs from agencies
